Most us know how painful an earache can be so staying alert to signs of trouble will help you head them off before they get out of hand and cause unnecessary pain for your dog.
Routine home ear care is very important to the health of your dog. Performed between your regular checkups with the vet, it will help keep your dog’s ears healthy and pain free.
Some things to check for are excessive wax, foul odor, redness, constant scratching, excessive matting of hair in the external ear, rubbing the ears against other objects, head shaking, and disorientation can all be signs of ear problems.
Generally the first thing we notice is our dog shaking his head a lot. Usually by the time we see this sign, there is already a problem.
Sniffing your dog’s ears is another way to detect problems early. Normally a dog’s ears shouldn’t smell foul in any way. If you see a dark waxy discharge this may be a sign of ear mites. On the other hand, if you see a pus-like discharge along with a foul smell this may be a sign of a bacterial infection.
Allergies are also known to cause some dogs to have smelly ears. If you’re new to this and are unsure have the vet check your dog’s ears.
Right after the vet gives your dog a clean bill of health make sure you inspect your dog’s ears. This way you will learn how your pet’s ears should normally look and smell.
